BJP points finger at government for terror blasts

New Delhi, July 28 (IANS) The terror blasts in Bangalore and Ahmedabad are a “conspiracy to divert attention from the cash-for-votes scandal”, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sushma Swaraj alleged Monday and claimed the party has “enough circumstantial evidence” to prove it. “The blasts are a conspiracy to divert attention from the cash-for-votes scandal. It is not a off-the-cuff remark. I mean what I say,” Swaraj told reporters here.

“Attacks in two BJP-ruled states in a span of two days and within four days of the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) government winning the trust vote has some meaning, and what I am saying is proved by enough circumstantial evidence,” Swaraj said.

In the serial bombings in Bangalore Friday, eight bomb blasts ripped through the city, killing one person and injuring seven others. In the Ahmedabad bombings Saturday, 21 blasts tore through the city, killing 50 people and injuring over 200 people. Both Karnataka and Gujarat are BJP-ruled states.

When asked if she was pointing fingers at the Manmohan Singh government as being behind the blasts, she said: “I have said what I wanted, it is for you all to interpret the rest.”

Three BJP MPs - Ashok Argal, Faggan Singh Kulaste and Mahavir Bhagora - alleged on the day of the trust vote July 22 that Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s political secretary Ahmed Patel had bribed them to abstain from the crucial floor test.

The three waved wads of currency notes in the Lok Sabha and alleged they had been offered Rs.90 million each to abstain during the trust vote and been paid an advance of Rs.10 million each.

While both Amar Singh and Patel have denied the charges, a seven-member committee has been formed to probe the matter.

Swaraj said the blasts were an “attempt to win-over the Muslim votes after the pro-American deal pursued by the government” - referring to the India-US civil nuclear deal.

She said the absence of an anti-terror law like POTA (Prevention of Terrorist Activities Act) was the prime reason for the increased terrorist activity in the country.

“Let them replace the name and not call it POTA, but the country today badly needs an anti-terror law. There is this misconception that POTA is against the Muslims, it is in fact against the mujrims (culprits),” she said.